IYQ Organic Structure

IYQ International Coordination Committee (IYQ- ICC)

For the proper operation of the activities detailed in the previous section it was essential to establish an organizational structure for implementing the IYQ. For this reason the IYQ International Coordination Committee (IYQ-ICC) was formed to direct operations and set basic guidelines for the implementation of the IYQ at different levels.

The IYQ-ICC has the role of establishing guidelines, ensuring compliance with the aims and achieving the results of the IYQ, promoting the coordination of the various activities carried out under the IYQ and coordinating the work of the three committees for which they are responsible.

According to the United Nations resolution on the IYQ, FAO was invited to facilitate the activities because of its experience in hosting other international years, such as the International Year of Rice (2004) and the International Year of the Potato (2008) and also because it has regional offices, links and representative offices worldwide, with the infrastructure and capacity to develop a global campaign to promote the cultivation and consumption of quinoa.

Representatives of international organizations, research institutes, indigenous peoples, civil society (NGOs), academia and the private sector in member countries will be part of the ICC as strategic partners.

The strategic partners will allow the representation of broad sectors beyond national borders, and will constitute an advisory group.

To facilitate the implementation of the three strategy components, the IYQ-ICC will have a commission for each component: Information and Communications Commission; Marketing and Technology Commission; and Fundraising and Cooperation Mechanisms Commission.

Organizational structure of the implementation of the IYQ Master Plan

IYQ Technical Secretariat

In order to support the facilitation of the IYQ, FAO will establish the Technical Secretariat of the IYQ in the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, in Santiago de Chile with the support of the FAO Headquarters in Rome.

National Commitees

The role of the National committees, consisting of the different stakeholders that make up the quinoa complex, will be to design and implement national activities related to the IYQ, that the country deems appropriate and that are aligned with the Master Plan.

The structure of the national committees will be defined by the committees themselves or by some other instrument that the government deems appropriate. It is suggested that the national committees have a focal point in the general areas of coordination: information and communication; research, technology and marketing; and fundraising.

IYQ Stakeholders

The need for all stakeholders to work together during and after the celebration of the IYQ is expressly contained in the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

In this context the relevant stakeholders identified are:

Governments of quinoa producing and consuming countries can provide the political, technical, economic and social context to advance the development of quinoa worldwide. Governmental public institutions have an important responsibility to ensure that they promote and facilitate access to sustainable strategies of production and consumption.

FAO will provide technical support to the ICC-IYQ through the Technical Secretariat in order to facilitate the celebration of the IYQ. Details of the structure of the working groups of the Secretariat can be found in Annex 3.

Other UN agencies and research and development agencies, such as WFP, UNDP, UNEP, and Research centers of the CGIAR consortium have an important role during the IYQ. CIRAD, IDR, Bioversity International and other CGIAR centers can contribute to a number of programs, projects, agreements, research initiatives and other mechanisms related to this crop.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are genuinely interested in promoting the sustainable development of the quinoa complex in the world and are effective for promoting sustainable technologies and information with the wider community.

Producer associations, rural communities, and indigenous peoples are essential partners, since they have the practical experience, traditional knowledge, and know the cultural richness associated with the quinoa complex. Moreover, the IYQ constitutes a space in which to recognize and value them.

The private sector has experience in matters relating to the production, processing and marketing of quinoa. The private sector is involved with many research activities and the development of new products and market niches.

Academia and research is one of the most extensive networks of cooperation for the promotion of global culture, as it has the technical knowledge of the latest developments, including cutting-edge research and traditional knowledge. Research centers such as the National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation - INIAF in Bolivia, the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA), Peru, and the Autonomous National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP), Ecuador will be key partners in the implementation of IYQ.